Connection device for connecting car barrier to head restraint posts

ABSTRACT

A car barrier includes two posts and a plurality of bars are connected between the two posts. Each bar includes a retractable inner tube. Two respective top ends of the two posts are in contact with a vehicle ceiling and two respectively lower ends of the two posts are connected with two respective connection devices. Two clamping units are connected to the two connection devices and each clamping unit includes two members and each member has a notch defined in an inner surface thereof. The first member and the second member clamp a support rod of a head restraint between the first and second notches.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a car barrier which is connected to thesupport rods of the head restraint so as to save space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional car barrier 70 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and generallyincludes two posts 72 and each of which is adjustably connected with asleeve 71. A plurality of bars 80 are connected between the two posts 72and U-shaped members 82 are used to be connected between any two of thebars 80 by locking units 81. A top member 73 and a bottom member 74 arerespectively connected to two ends of each of the two posts 72 so as tocontact with the ceiling and floor of the car. The barrier 70 separatesthe space between the drivers/passengers and the pets. It is noted thatthe barrier 70 occupies a lot of space because the posts 72 are locatedbetween the ceiling and the floor of the car. Besides, the pets usuallyhit the lower sections of the posts 72 regularly to make a lot of noiseand the barrier 70 needs to be secured often.

The present invention intends to provide a barrier which is connectedbetween to the posts of the head restraints and the ceiling so as tosave a lot of space and reduce the times that the pets hit the barrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a car barrier that comprises two postsand a plurality of bars are connected between the two posts. Tworespective top ends of the two posts are in contact with a vehicleceiling and two respectively lower ends of the two posts are connectedwith two respective connection devices. Two clamping units are connectedto the two connection devices and each clamping unit includes a firstmember and a second member. The first member has a first notch definedin an inner surface thereof and the second member has a second notchdefined in an inner surface thereof. The second notch faces the firstnotch. The first member and the second member clamp a support rod of ahead restraint between the first and second notches.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the car barrier of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows the car barrier viewed from another angle;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the connection device of the carbarrier of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the car barrier of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 shows that the car carrier is connected to the post of the headrestraint;

FIG. 6 is a side view to show that the car carrier is connected betweenthe car ceiling and the post of the head restraint;

FIG. 7 is a rear view to show a pet is separated from the driver by thecar carrier of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows the clamping unit can be angle adjustable;

FIG. 9 shows a conventional car barrier, and

FIG. 10 shows the conventional car barrier is installed in a car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the car barrier “A” of the present inventioncomprises two posts 10 and a plurality of bars 20 are connected betweenthe two posts 10. Each of the posts 10 includes a retractable inner tube12 which can be positioned relative to the outer tube 11 by a lockingunit (not numbered). A top member 13 is connected to the top end of eachpost 10 so as to be in contact with the car ceiling. Two respectivelylower ends of the two posts 10 are connected with two respectiveconnection devices 30. Each bar 20 includes two retractable inner tubes22 inserted into two ends thereof and the inner tubes 22 can bepositioned relative to the bar 20 by two respectively locking units 21.A ball-shaped end member 23 is connected to the distal end of each innertube 22 so as not scrub the glass of inner surface of the car. It isnoted that the bars 20 can also be the type as shown in FIG. 4 wherein aU-shaped member 24 is connected between two ends of any two bars 20.

Each of the connection devices 30 is rotatable relative to the posts 10and the clamping units 40 are pivotable to the connection devices 30respectively. A connection tube 34 is connected between the connectiondevice 30 and the first member 41.

Each connection device 30 includes a first disk member 31 and a seconddisk member 32, the first disk member 31 has a first toothed surface 311which is removably engaged with a second toothed surface 321 of thesecond disk member 32. A spring 33 is biased between the first andsecond disk members 31, 32. A first groove 312 is defined in an outersurface thereof so as to receive the post 10 therein and a second groove322 is defined in an outer surface of the second disk member 32 so as toreceive an end of the connection tube 34. A bolt 35 extends through theconnection tube 34, the second disk member 32, the spring 33, the firstdisk member 31, the post 10 and is connected with another knob 36.

Two clamping units 40 are connected to the two connection devices 30 andeach clamping unit 40 includes a first member 41 and a second member 50.The first member 41 has a first notch 45 defined in an inner surfacethereof and the second member 50 has a concavity 53 defined in an innersurface thereof. The first notch 45 faces the concavity 53. A clampingmember 54 is movably engaged with the concavity 53 and a second notch541 is defined in the clamping member 54. A bolt 55 extends through thesecond member 50 and is threadedly connected to the clamping member 54.

The first member 41 has a first recess 42 defined in the inner surfaceand a first end thereof and a through hole 44 is defined through a wallof an outer surface of the first member 41 and communicates with thefirst recess 42. The connection tube 34 has the other end inserted intothe first end of the first member 41 and an elongate hole 341 is definedthrough the connection tube 34. The second member 50 has a second recess51 which is located corresponding to the first recess 42, a bolt 56extends through the through hole 44 of the first member 41, the elongateslot 341 of the connection tube 34, the first recess 42 of the firstmember 41, the second recess 51 of the second member 50 and is connectedwith a knob 57.

It is noted that two protrusions 43 extend from an outer surface of thefirst member 41 and the through hole 44 is located between the twoprotrusions 43. A C-shaped flange 52 extends from an outer surface ofthe second member 50. The bolt 56 has an engaging end 561 which isperpendicular to an axis of the bolt 56 and is engaged with a spacebetween the two protrusions 43 so that the bolt 56 is not rotatedrelative to the first member 41. The bolt 56 includes a threaded section562 which is threadedly connected to the knob 57 which is engaged withthe annular flange 52. A pin pivotably connects the two respectivesecond ends of the first and second members 41, 50. Further referring toFIG. 5, the first member 41 and the second member 50 clamp a support rod62 of a head restraint 61 between the first and second notches 45, 541.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the barrier “A” is connected between theceiling and the support rod 62 of the head restraint 61 so that a spacebetween the floor and the seatback of the seats of the driver and thepassenger is available to the pet. Besides, the pet tends not to hit thebarrier “A” because the lower side of the barrier “A” is ended at thesupport rod 62 of the head restraint 61.

As shown in FIG. 8, the clamping unit 40 can be angle adjustablerelative to the post 10 when the inclination of the seatback isadjusted. The knob 36 is slightly loosened and the second disk member 32is slightly pushed away from the first disk member 31 by the spring 33,and the second disk member 32 is then rotated an angle so that the wholeclamping unit 40 is moved with the connection tube 34 engaged with thesecond groove 322 of the second disk member 32. By the adjustment, theclamping unit 40 can properly clamp the support rod 62 of the headrestraint 61.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A car barrier comprising: two posts and a plurality of bars connectedbetween the two posts, two respective top ends of the two posts adaptedto be in contact with a vehicle ceiling, two respectively lower ends ofthe two posts connected with two respective connection devices, twoclamping units connected to the two connection devices and each clampingunit including a first member and a second member, the first memberhaving a first notch defined in an inner surface thereof and the secondmember having a second notch defined in an inner surface thereof, thesecond notch facing the first notch, the first member and the secondmember adapted to clamp a support rod of a head restraint between thefirst and second notches.
 2. The barrier as claimed in claim 1, whereineach of the connection devices is rotatable relative to the posts andthe clamping units are pivotable to the connection devices respectively.3. The barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connection tube isconnected between the connection device and the first member.
 4. Thebarrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first member has a firstrecess defined in the inner surface and a first end thereof and athrough hole is defined through a wall of an outer surface of the firstmember and communicates with the first recess, the connection tubeincludes an elongate hole defined therethrough, the second member has asecond recess which is located corresponding to the first recess, a boltextends through the through hole of the first member, the elongate slotof the connection tube, the first recess of the first member, the secondrecess of the second member and is connected with a knob.
 5. The barrieras claimed in claim 4, the first and second members are pivotablyconnected to each other at two respective second ends thereof.
 6. Thebarrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein two protrusions extend from anouter surface of the first member and the through hole is locatedbetween the two protrusions, a C-shaped flange extends from an outersurface of the second member, the bolt has an engaging end which isperpendicular to an axis of the bolt and is engaged with a space betweenthe two protrusions, the bolt includes a threaded section which isthreadedly connected to the knob which is engaged with the annularflange.
 7. The barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second memberhas a concavity defined in the inner surface thereof and a clampingmember is movably engaged with the concavity, the second notch isdefined in the clamping member, a bolt extends through the second memberand is threadedly connected to the clamping member.
 8. The barrier asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each connection device includes a first diskmember and a second disk member, the first disk member has a firsttoothed surface which is removably engaged with a second toothed surfaceof the second disk member, a spring is biased between the first andsecond disk members, a first groove is defined in an outer surfacethereof so as to receive the post therein and a second groove is definedin an outer surface of the second disk member so as to receive theconnection tube, a bolt extends through the connection tube, the seconddisk member, the spring, the first disk member, the post and isconnected with a knob.